NewsUpper School
Honor Council Serves Students
Aug 1, 2000 8:00 AM
By Stefan Eady - Faculty
By Charles Conner, Honor Council President
In every Darlington classroom a plaque hangs that proclaims “Honor above everything.” Anyone who knows this would immediately associate honor with the school, but that is erroneous reasoning. It is not Darlington School that perpetuates the honor system, but the student body. The honor system was not founded by Darlington teachers, faculty, or administrators. It was students who created our Honor Code. Honor council members are selected by their peers to ensure student ownership. Just as vital as the students who founded the system in 1915 are the students that keep it functioning today.
Upon arriving at Darlington, new students participate in an honor code signing, pledging not to lie, cheat, steal, or tolerate these actions.
When the honor code is violated, it affects all students, creating a suspicious atmosphere. The Honor Council does not aim to punish, only to protect and to foster a sense of honor.
Turning someone into the Honor Council can be difficult, but students should be aware of the conditions. A student is not presumed guilty of any honor violation. The Honor Council wishes only to find the truth, not to punish; therefore, fairness is paramount. While the council wishes that students could live within the system without having problems, it recognizes that some will evolve. First-time offenders are reasoned with more than punished. The Honor Council wishes only to show them why what they did was wrong and how they can live honorably for the rest of their lives. If a student returns, showing no effort to change his or her ways, a strict punishment is allocated.
Finally, the Honor Council operates independently of the Discipline Committee and has a separate agenda.
The honor system and the student body have co-existed for eighty-five years, and the giant intangible canopy of honor still stands high above everything. New students and returning students should all grab ownership of this system which exists only to serve them.
In every Darlington classroom a plaque hangs that proclaims “Honor above everything.” Anyone who knows this would immediately associate honor with the school, but that is erroneous reasoning. It is not Darlington School that perpetuates the honor system, but the student body. The honor system was not founded by Darlington teachers, faculty, or administrators. It was students who created our Honor Code. Honor council members are selected by their peers to ensure student ownership. Just as vital as the students who founded the system in 1915 are the students that keep it functioning today.
Upon arriving at Darlington, new students participate in an honor code signing, pledging not to lie, cheat, steal, or tolerate these actions.
When the honor code is violated, it affects all students, creating a suspicious atmosphere. The Honor Council does not aim to punish, only to protect and to foster a sense of honor.
Turning someone into the Honor Council can be difficult, but students should be aware of the conditions. A student is not presumed guilty of any honor violation. The Honor Council wishes only to find the truth, not to punish; therefore, fairness is paramount. While the council wishes that students could live within the system without having problems, it recognizes that some will evolve. First-time offenders are reasoned with more than punished. The Honor Council wishes only to show them why what they did was wrong and how they can live honorably for the rest of their lives. If a student returns, showing no effort to change his or her ways, a strict punishment is allocated.
Finally, the Honor Council operates independently of the Discipline Committee and has a separate agenda.
The honor system and the student body have co-existed for eighty-five years, and the giant intangible canopy of honor still stands high above everything. New students and returning students should all grab ownership of this system which exists only to serve them.
